Conventional image editing applications generally enable users to edit images and save the edited pixel data. The number of possible edits to an image is vast. As the sophistication of image editing applications has increased, the number of tools, corresponding tool settings, and the diversity in visual effects applied by the tools has also increased. Furthermore, some image editing applications can support as many as 50 to 100 distinct layers (or more) within a single image, each of which can be used to apply a visual effect to the image. However, the identities of the tools and corresponding tool settings used to edit the images are not saved. This inability to save and restore the tool identities and corresponding tool settings used to edit an image is inconvenient because of the very high number of permutations of tools, tool settings, and layers in a single image. This makes it difficult to recreate a visual effect applied to the image in a previous user session.
The figures depict various embodiments of the present disclosure for purposes of illustration only. Numerous variations, configurations, and other embodiments will be apparent from the following detailed discussion.